Governor candidates weigh in on Flock camera controversy

The Democratic and Republican nominees for Georgia governor hit the campaign trail in metro Atlanta Wednesday, laying out their priorities for Georgia voters.

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Republican nominee and healthcare founder Rick Jackson campaigned at the state Capitol alongside Attorney General Chris Carr, a former rival who is now supporting Jackson.

Jackson discussed his plan to end human trafficking in Georgia. He also addressed concerns about Flock cameras, which are used by law enforcement agencies to help identify vehicles and investigate crimes.

Several law enforcement officers in Georgia have been fired or arrested over allegations they misused Flock camera systems for personal purposes.

Jackson acknowledged the abuse but said he believes the technology can be a valuable tool for law enforcement.

“This has been one of the best technologies for us to find people with Alzheimer’s, kids that are being trafficked and so forth like that,” Jackson said. “So we need to protect everybody and we need to use every tool we can.”

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Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, the Democratic nominee, was campaigning in a crowded Lawrenceville grocery store.

Bottoms unveiled a plan to use $250 million in state funding to offer to local governments that agree to eliminate or suspend sales taxes on groceries and other items, including feminine hygiene products.

She also acknowledged the benefits of security cameras like Flock while emphasizing the need for privacy protections.

“It’s clear that they are not always being used in the way that they were intended, and the way that they were presented,” Bottoms said. “So to the extent that we can put some safeguards around it to protect the right to privacy, we need to do it as a state.”

There is growing concern and backlash as law enforcement officers in several agencies across Georgia have misused the cameras.

More police departments are now auditing how their Flock systems have been used, raising the possibility that additional cases could be uncovered.

The issue has become a debate over how law enforcement can use technology to improve public safety while protecting people’s privacy.

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